Opening Statement - Third Hearing on ROTC Bills

Again, good morning, everyone. Salamat sa inyong pagdating and I hope matatapos natin itong hearing na 'to today, hopefully, at the committee level before we can proceed to our sponsorship to the plenary para sa ating committee report. During our last hearing, we have discussed the following, among others:

• Coverage of the ROTC training which will now be limited to students who will be enrolled to at least two-year course or program while those enrolled in a shorter period will undergo alternative or specialized programs;

• Some of the critical requirements of AFP to implement the ROTC Program such as manpower and logistic needs;

• The issue of double registration for those who completed the ROTC program which we will no longer include in our draft bill; and

• Incentives we proposed to provide for those who will be taking the program.

For today, we are here to further know of the data and requirements needed to polish this ROTC Bill. Such as:

• Funding Requirements of DND to ensure effective implementation of the Program including the cost of free uniform for the students and other incentives that they will recommend;

• Total Number of Personnel Personnel / Instructors needed per Higher Education Institution (HEI);

• Role of the HEI in implementing the program; and

Lastly, we would like to hear other proposals and recommendations to guarantee the achievement of our objectives in mandating the ROTC program for students in Higher Education Institutions.

I look forward to everyone's positions, comments, and suggestions so we can further improve our ROTC bill. At saka pakinggan rin natin 'yung mga youth na somehow ay nag-o-oppose sa ROTC. That's why lahat ng youth organizations na pwede nating imbitahan ay inimbitahan po natin and we will hear from them this morning. Again, maraming salamat po.

Before we start our discussion, I would like to inform everyone that our hearing today will end at 12 noon as we have a scheduled ocular inspection and Walk-through of the Air Traffic Management Center at CAAP's Office this afternoon. So bilis-bilisan natin konti and again, thank you.